Thank You For Being You
by talking-eye
Summary: I don't write as well as the person from the INCISION board who STOLE my idea, so my question is, why steal it? I will only update this back in my happy place. Sorry.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I want to write more, but I will be in and out of my house today. We'll see.

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"Why are we doing this?" Cristina muttered. She's accustomed to the sight of blood and stinky smell, but this? On a holiday? It's just weird.

"Hey, we're helping people!" Meredith chipped in.

"This is called community service. Didn't they teach you the meaning of Thanksgiving in school?" Alex added.

"I could have been saving lives in the hospital, cutting up hearts, not potatoes!" Cristina made a face. "This is boring. He knows I hate this."

"So, what did you do to make Burke angry?" Izzie asked as she spread butter on the bread. "I mean, why would he take us to a shelter with running lunatics instead of spending time with you on this special holiday?"

"Don't be so mean to the mentally ill, Izzie. We aren't too different from them, you know," George said thoughtfully.

"Have you been talking to the Buddha lately?" Alex smirked.

"I think Dr. Burke is trying to be a good man," Meredith butted in.

"Whatever. I am SO GLAD we're only making sandwiches and salad. I would die if they ask me to hand out the trays and the soup." Cristina rolled her eyes as she looked over to the other side of the kitchen. Apparently, Burke was enjoying himself there, chit-chatting with homeless men.

"Move faster, people." Bailey folded her arms. "The sooner you're done, the sooner I can go home. Understood?"

"Yes, Dr. Bailey."

The other interns looked at each other and tried not to laugh. The Nazi was everywhere.

"How's everyone doing?" Burke walked over and smiled authoritatively at the interns and resident as his hand rested comfortably on Cristina's lower back.

"Don't worry, Dr. Burke. I'm keeping an eye on my interns." Bailey said proudly.

"Thank you, Miranda." Burke's eyes quickly scanned through the kitchen and thanked everyone with his charming smile.

_It wasn't a punishment._ Burke said he was grateful for everything that happened in the past few months and he wanted to give back.

No matter how much Cristina resented the "assignment" and brooded about it in front of everyone else, she docilely agreed when Burke asked. After all, there really were too many things to be thankful for—

Not only the coffee, but also the intimate moments, the surgeries (of course!)…

And the forgiveness.

Three months ago, she wouldn't have imagined working alongside Burke again. They were over. Everyone told them it was over. Yet, thanks to Jane, they were together again.

So when Burke said his Mama would invite the homeless to her restaurant for free meals every Thanksgiving, how could Cristina say no to his suggestion of doing something similar?

"Actually, we need an extra pair of hands for meal delivery. Are any of you interested?" Burke asked.

"Dr. Burke, I would love to go," George volunteered.

Immediately, George felt Alex's elbow on the side of his stomach and disapproving stares from his roommates.

"Take Cristina. She's slowing down our progress in the kitchen," Bailey offered.

"Cristina, would you like to—" Burke asked nicely. He knew the interns were putting his behavior under careful scrutiny.

"Ok." _She knew she couldn't escape._

"Izzie thinks they will have a great time together."

"Alex agrees."

They all smiled. That's what family was all about, wanting the best to happen to everyone.

"Ok, people. Back to work!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Why are we leaving now?" Cristina frowned. "I thought you said they need someone to hand out meals?

"We do. But this one is on the street." Burke took off his apron after taking off hers.

"You mean, we go and pass sandwiches to the homeless and get shot on our way?" Cristina bit her lower lip slightly.

"Don't worry. Seattle isn't as dangerous as LA. Besides, I'll go with you." _He will be there to protect her and guide her._

Cristina softened her gaze at him.

"Where do we start?"

"We'll take the brown bags. There're turkey sandwich and a small slice of pumpkin pie in each."

"Do we need to bring guns?"

"Cristina!" Burke laughed.

"Ok." 

Cristina grabbed as many brown bags as she could and followed Burke to the van.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Baxter."

"Oh Hi, Preston. Let me tell you a story. The rain is going to kill the turkey and it will be broadcasted life on TV when I cut the turkey and the time has come when the sky opens to let the rain fall. Oh Hi, are you his wife?"

"No, Sir. Have a good day."

Burke smiled as Cristina pushed a brown bag into the man's hand instead of shaking it.

"Why are you wishing me a good day? Oh yes, it's a good day. It's Thanksgiving. Tell me, young lady, when is Thanksgiving?"

Cristina shot a 'how do you know these people' sort of look at Burke. She was begging him to rescue her.

"It's today, Mr. Baxter. Bye." Swiftly he excused Cristina and himself.

Walking back to their car, Cristina uttered in horror, "Burke, you know there's a reason why I didn't pick psychiatry don't you?"

"Relax, Cristina. Some of them talk a lot, but most of them aren't violent."

"Why don't they lock them up?"

"De-institutionalization. They government doesn't have enough money. Some of them can't pay for their meds. Or they don't want to take their meds. Their families don't want them. They have no one to turn to. It's sad, really."

Behind the cockiness and stubbornness, Burke was such a good man. Knowledgeable. Connected to the world.

"Where do we go next?"

"Right here," Burke pulled over. "Mrs. Rivas?"

The woman was rocking her child in silence. The hollowness in her eyes startled Cristina, who was now standing timidly behind Burke.

Suddenly, the woman grabbed his hand and kissed it. It was a gesture of thanks to a stranger who didn't speak her language.

Cristina wanted to pull Burke away. Instead, she saw him squeezed the woman's hand tightly and smiled. For a man who was so fastidious about hygiene, Cristina couldn't understand why he would let the disheveled woman touch his mighty hand.

Back to their car, Cristina was looking very confused. "Shouldn't someone call Child Protection Service?"

"She doesn't have a visa. If we do that they'll separate her from her child. The social worker at the shelter checks up on her once in a while. Our community outreach team at Seattle Grace also comes from time to time to make sure they are doing Ok."

Burke always surprised her with gifts he was ready to provide to those around him. At the back of her mind, Cristina almost felt inadequate compared to him.

"Come on, I still have a few more places to show you," Burke looked at her reassuringly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Izzie, you're putting too much sugar into the pie!" George whined. 

"She's the cooking guru. What do YOU know about cooking, O'Malley?" Alex defended his favorite woman.

"Don't get distracted. We're almost done," Bailey caught them talking again. _These interns. They'll never learn._

They worked in silence for a painful 5 minutes before Bailey was out of sight. They would fall asleep if they kept on stuffing sandwiches sifting flour without talking. And the best cure to drowsiness? Gossip.

"So, what do you think about the two of them?" Izzie blinked.

"Happy, I suppose." George responded sheepishly.

He was still learning to be Burke's friend again. They were on better terms now, but what happened a few months ago still made him feel uncomfortable occasionally. George was the last one to really forgive Cristina and Burke. After all, it was about his father's life.

"I think they have changed," Meredith nodded. "It's good that we are all bright and shiny now."

"As shiny as the bottom of the pot," Alex laughed.

"Alex!" Izzie frowned at him and he blushed. Izzie was the only one who had such an impact on him.

"Who would have thought we could be through this much in a year?" George said matter-of-factly. "I really thought Cristina would never come back."

"We also worried that Izzie wouldn't," Meredith gave a pat on her roommate's shoulder. "But she did. God has a plan."

"It isn't Christmas yet. Don't start preaching to us," Alex rolled his eyes.

"I mean, I'm glad that we're still together."

"Yea, you and your McDreamy," Izzie teased her.

"Actually, I am going to my mom's this year for Thanksgiving with Derek."

"Seriously?" George was intrigued. "No wonder there's no Thanksgiving party this year!"

"Dude, you live with these women and don't know their plans?" Alex shook his head in disbelief.

"Things are never what they seem," Izzie spoke softly as she stirred the pie mix.

"We always think we understand," Meredith added. "but we don't."

"We don't need to know everything to make things work. It isn't surgery."

"Yea, I can never understand how they got back together," Izzie licked her lips.

"But they did."

"Yes they did."

The interns nodded at one another.

"Do you think they will be the first to get married?" George wondered.

"Cristina getting married?" Izzie laughed. "They're so busy with their careers now."

"I'm sure Meredith will say yes if Derek proposes now," Alex said.

"I still think Cristina will go first," George insisted.

"Well," Meredith blinked a few times. "actually Derek told me last night that…"

"What?"

They were all curious.


End file.
